The world was extremely saddened by the tragic loss of Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Kobe was on board was with his daughter Gianna and seven others when the accident occurred in a mountain near Calabasas. For Shaquille O’Neal’s eldest son, Shareef, it was a heartbreaking moment. 

Kobe had sent a text to check in on Shareef O’Neal just moments before he embarked on the helicopter journey, which unfortunately would be his last one. The 20-year-old posted the screenshot of Kobe’s final text, in which he asks, “You good fam?”

Unfortunately, Shareef was not aware of the fact that the fatal accident had happened when he sent his reply. Thus, it broke him down into tears knowing the fact that Kobe was sweet enough to check in on him with a text, but faced a terrible accident shortly after. 

“I wish I didn’t sleep in so I could’ve talked to you,” O’Neal wrote in his Instagram tribute to Kobe. Besides posting the screenshot of the last message from the Lakers legend. Shareef shared a few more sweet conversations between them, which further tells us about the beautiful relationships that they shared. 

Shareef O’Neal honors Kobe Bryant through his sneakers

Many fans still can’t cope up with the fact that Kobe is no more. It was an untimely death, and the NBA icon deserved a longer life. As a remembrance of his close relationship with Kobe, Shareef O’Neal has done something incredibly beautiful. 

O’Neal, being a basketball player himself, has several pairs of sneakers in his cabinet. In memory of his father’s former teammate, Shareef has taken every pair of sneakers he owns and has written his reply to Kobe’s final question.

“I’m good fam”  are the words that adorn every sneaker Shareef owns. Moreover, he has also written numbers 2, 8, and 24 in honor of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. 

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Besides mentioning his response to Kobe, Shareef has also written the words “GO GET EM.” This is what the five-time NBA champion had sent him a few months after O’Neal underwent a crucial open-heart surgery in December 2018. 

Shareef O’Neal began playing college basketball for UCLA in 2018. After two years with the Bruins, he announced in February 2020 that he would be joining Louisiana State University (LSU), the alma mater of his father and basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.